


Children of R'lyeh: Wired

by Vosh



Category: Cthulhu Mythos - Fandom, Cthulhu Mythos - H. P. Lovecraft, Furry (Fandom), cyberpunk - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:00:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25539184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vosh/pseuds/Vosh
Summary: "Novus City...a monument to our past, our present, and our unforeseeable future in this world. A city born out of necessity in order to unite what remained of both beast and man kind, to forge a place we could all call home without worry of anymore outside influence or forces. It was supposed to be our shelter from the rest of the world, the endless winter that now blighted it, and our shield from any otherworldly powers...too bad humanity didn't survive. There's no exact date on its time of construction or completion date, just that it's been here longer than everyone who's still living. A city that started out humble, but soon found ways to take old tech and advance it so far that we can't live without it. A city that relies on its networking more than it does international trade to maintain its economy. The people here don't care about the outside world anymore, and honestly, why should they? We got everything right here, in our shelter. And if it ever feels like something's unobtainable, we got software and hardware for that. But with a reliance on tech comes those that can, will, and have taken advantage of it. No need to freak out, though. We got people that can rebuild you, for the right price."
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

[Ghost](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBblIvdJPes)

_I'm gonna keep it short and straight forward as possible, because the details...I try not to dwell on them too much. Ends up becoming a mushy mess when trying to summarize things in journal logs, but I'm starting to think that maybe venting about it in private like this will help me in some way. Now I'm not quite sure where to even begin- wait, no...I do._

_My name is Oxavier, last name omitted, and known more infamously as Oxye. My younger sister, Monica, took up the name Molly. We've only ever lived here in New R'lyeh, formerly known as Novus City, seeing as no one thought that other places might exist outside of this place. We were born quite a few years apart, and I use that vague gap in a legitimate way because...well, in a city like this, age is such an abstract concept now. We've got people here who can- no, no, that's not why I'm here._

_Molly and I only got to experience being raised by our parents up until about what I remember her being around four or five years old. A toddler and a young teenager, that's what we were...and we were all we had. Our parents didn't quite abandon us, but they didn't quite intend on keeping us. They left us by ourselves in our place one night, down in the lowest Level, 15. It wasn't anything particularly spectacular, but it was home. But then the next day finally approached. Molly was born blind, and being the only guardian of hers in the house at the time, I took care of her for her morning routine._

_It wasn't until I came across a holo-flyer in our kitchen that I felt a lump form in my throat. At this point in time, virtual reality had become somewhat of an addiction for some, and this was an ad for a new VR social club...the same VR club that was now being discussed on the city news channel from our living room. Remember I said it had become an addiction for some? Well for some, it became a permanent fantasy. Our parents were no different, their minds became one with the social club's servers, and now, to both their and our misfortune, those servers had been corrupted. Hundreds' lifeless bodies sat in luxurious loungers and love seats, and our parents' had become the highlight of the news reel._

_At times like these in a past world, it would take time to track down the home and any children of said victims, but everything had become to intricately connected to a main network of information. It was only a matter of hours before agents and enforcement were pounding at our home's entrance, but I'd already taken Molly away from there. I couldn't let them take her away, and I was not about to allow myself to be forced into the Enforcer Academy. So we went off of the grid, living in the slums among the colorful socialites._

_It wasn't until a few years after that, after surviving like we had, that I'd come across both our future salvation, and future criminal activities. For her sake, I'll leave her identity omitted, but she was definitely a precursor to the sudden surge of illegal body modification and augmentation. All I can really remember about her appearance was her face...almost like a border collie. It was from her that I learned about the basics of augmentation and neural linking into the city's network. Because of her, I eventually figured out how to cure Molly's blindness, to an extent anyways. And at that point, I began to find out things I should not have. Other worlds existed, and they were converging. That border collie knew this._


	2. Her

[Close](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyuVnr77IoU&ab_channel=JukkaChvrch)

Novus City, the place where dreams could come true for the right price, and permanently if you happened to have the money for it. A city that stood on massive stilts above what used to be known as New York, casting a shadow over the all but forgotten ruins of a once great city that belonged to a falling nation. A city that dealt with the beginnings of something any of those that survived wished they hadn't, now completely lost to an eternal winter that gave no signs of letting up. But within this massive, triangular prism of an elevated super structure, there was peace...or perhaps an illusion of it.

As most who inhabit this place know, technology now rules all but the individual's direct mind, though even that is becoming a slowly growing reality. The extremely bustling city structure was organized into different levels, and now expanding, as if anticipating something. What originally started out as 5 city sized floors with their own towers for whatever reasons, be it housing or business, was beginning to expand into 15. These original 5 levels became known as the Lower Levels, the lowest being 15 and going up to 11. Already rumors were beginning to spread as to who those that would occupy the additional Levels would be: the wealthy elite, the body-pure, the list went on. But the truth was that...well, perhaps it's best to find out through individual experience.

An ever growing city demanded an ever growing network, and an ever growing network meant holes existed in secure connections. The lowest levels of the Lower Levels became the hotspot for any and all underworld activity, ranging from information brokerage to organized crime, and none were more talented in all of this than a Fen-Chi sibling duo. What originally started as a means to survival eventually bloomed into a life that neither of the two would have imagined themselves ever being involved in.

“Can we go back home?” asked a young female Fen-Chi as she began to drag her feet, shoulders slouched, and arms swaying like wet noodles, “We haven't rested in over a day, and you probably need rest more than I do, Ox.”

The one referred to as 'Ox' was none other than the infamous older sibling that not only dragged them into living their lives this way, but also disrupting many of the established crime hubs...using other criminal organizations, “Where do you think we're going, Molly? 'Sanctum' isn't too far now, just need to make a quick visit to a certain hub before we call it quits for awhile.”

“Awhile?! More like forever! As much as I want to keep helping you with all of this, I just don't think I can keep up anymore. Acting as an anonymous information brokerage for all of these syndicates is going to get us killed soon, I know it,” she whined as she forced her face into her sibling's backpack, “I get you want to be the vigilante down here, but look at us.”

Oxye made a sudden right, pulling his sister along with him into a narrow walkway between two living complexes, “Shh!” he'd signal to Molly, her not hesitating to hide behind him, “Enforcement? There hasn't been any activity to warrant their presence here...has there?” he questioned quietly as he looked down at his wrist mounted computer, it flickering on as he began to navigate the multiple holo-screens that flooded his augmented eye's optical feed. Even on the classified networks there seemed to be absolutely nothing as to why Enforcers would be present on Level 15.

But one other thought crossed his mind, “...I wonder,” he mumbled as he reset his navigating, setting his routing on reaching Sanctum's firewall. After a minute, his expression and heavy sighing made it obvious as to what was going on, “Forget the hub, I guess. Sanctum has a new patron, and I think they're expecting us there, sooner rather than later.”

Molly blinked a few times, letting her augmented eyes readjust, showing her clear confusion, “A new patron? Like who?” she asked as she ran out of their hiding spot back into the main alleyway, “Who would even want to become a new patron there? It's the most uneventful place down here.”

The older brother shook his head as he stepped out from the narrow walkway as well, watching as the two Enforcers continued on, not paying attention to any of the suspicious vendors or sales being made all along the sides of the alleyway, “Doesn't matter when the patron is more infamous than even my anonymous alias. Sanctum is the only safe haven zone down here, which makes me highly suspicious of why they're there,” he'd explain as he began making his way quickly to one of the many secured and secret entrances, “Whatever their reasoning is, it better be good-”

“Or what?” interrupted Molly as she followed behind.

“I'll...uh...”

“You'll...? Don't even think about fighting her, beating her, arresting her, whatever. You know you can't, and we owe it to her that you don't,” Molly stated sternly as she picked up her speed to match his.

“How do you even know it's her?” he asked as they soon approached the entrance, an inconspicuous false sewage tunnel, “I could've been talking about anyone else in Novus City, so why assume it's her?”

“Because you only get flustered when it's her.”

Oxye paused for a moment, letting out another heavy sigh as he sent a signal to their destination, causing the sewage grate to hiss and open up slowly, “I don't get flustered, Molly. She's just...intimidating.”

“Yeah, intimidatingly cute,” she teased as she hopped down into the tunnel, raspberries echoing from down below. Oxye followed soon after, landing with a more audible thud than his younger sibling. Despite the tunnel having a slight collection of moisture from the many steamworks that also cross-sectioned through it, it was definitely not a sewage line...not anymore, anyways.

Being the most direct path to their destination, it didn't take long for the duo to come across the exit. Unlike the sewage grate disguise, this doorway was solid, and the tunnel poorly illuminated, the only sources of light their own augmentations and various low-glowing outfit accessories, “You remember how to get in, Molly?” asked Oxye as he took a few steps back, Molly giving a nod as she stepped forward to take initiative.

The girl would mock spitting into her hands before rubbing them together, “Alright...here we go...” she said lowly before she began to start kicking and screaming, seemingly throwing a tantrum as she even threw herself like a struggling child against the door, screaming harmless obscenities before slumping against it. Her brother let out yet _another_ heavy sigh as the door lifted up, his younger sibling falling limp against the floor as she lost the support of the door.

Almost as if expecting the both of them to enter through this method, a rather large and intimidating silhouette stood before them as their eyes readjusted to the lighting. They didn't say anything, just gave a well rounded huff, as if expecting an explanation from the two of them as they stood there, “Oh, it's you...” murmured Oxye as he picked his sister up from the floor, “Whatever it is you want to know, Royal, I can't answ-”

“Yes, you can. But I don't need one, not today. Not this visit,” gruffed the deep voiced, dark furred man, if you could even still call it 'fur'. The man easily towered above Oxye, forcing him to look down, a still lit and burning cigar hanging from his jowls, those golden eyes of his piercing through Oxye's own, “What'd I tell you and the runt about banging on the doors?”

Oxye simply let out a heavy sigh, giving Molly a chance to dust herself off from her little escapade, “To not, and to communicate ahead of time when we'd be coming back. But listen, this wasn't a planned or even foreseen visit. If it were up to me, I'd still be out there-” he was cut off once more as Royal grabbed the both of them, one in each augmented arm, and carried them out from their entry point to the center of the Sanctum, leaving the door to hiss as it closed slowly.

Ah yes, the Sanctum. This place was always the highlight, people risking their lives sometimes to even gain entry, going to frivolous lengths and means to do so. Breaking in netted death, trying to hack your way in netted in a mind wipe or shocking feedback, and trying to buy your way in with gifts or credits only netted waking up with no memory of doing so after said gifts and credits mysteriously disappeared from your person. The people that ran this place only took one very specific currency, and that currency just happened to be Oxye's aspiring career's pay: relevant information. So it went without a coincidence that the boy was eventually led to this place for his services, and to find himself pledged to something he never intended.

But their visit back to this place today was, unfortunately once more, for business. A certain somebody apparently thought it was more important to discuss a topic that wasn't given than it was to finish the assignment they themselves had given to him. After the augmented nightmare pit bull that was Royal set the both of them down, something seemed to silently call their attention up towards and into the VIP lounge, a place they'd only been allowed to enter once before today, “Molly, just stay down here and eat something. Got a feeling that whatever she has to talk about is- wait, Molly?” Oxye had apparently become so distracted with what he was saying that as he turned around to check on his sister, she had already run off like an actual child, “Figures...”

Without wasting any more time, Oxye eventually, but hesitantly, made his way up the steps that led to the VIP lounge. From up here, the view of the Sanctum was much different. It gave once a sense of importance as they looked over the warehouse that'd earned the reputation it had from even before he'd come into the picture, “...quiet tonight.”

“As it should be,” came a rather familiar and feminine voice from behind him. Instead he gripped onto the railing, refusing to turn around, “What information do you have for me today, Oxavier?”

“You know not to call me by my full name. You don't see me spouting your name around without warning or permission, do you?” Oxye immediately countered as his grip grew tighter, still not turning to face them, “I don't have any solid information or clues today, I'm sorry. You apparently needed me here more than out there-”

“Running an errand? I pulled you in early for reasons you won't quite understand. Not unless I explain them in full,” she stated, expecting full well that the boy turn to face her. He eventually did, his body language giving signs that he obviously was not comfortable with the situation as he would see her sitting there, legs crossed, arms spread to her sides and resting against on the tops of the sofa she lounged on. Unlike other times, her face was not hidden, exposing a twisted set of horns that seemed to run up the length of her ears. He never understood how she could be what she was, but apparently 'Hellhounds' were their own thing, and she'd just so happened to end up here in Novus City running from 'hell' as a wanted felon of sorts, “How much have you found out about the newest residents to the city? You've had to come across information on them at some point. The things I task you with aren't always random scoutings or exchanges.”

Her voice was...soft, at least in comparison to her usual tone. It almost brought a bit of comfort to Oxye as he relaxed his posture a bit, “I don't exactly know what you're talking about. We have a lot of new residents here. Kids are being born left and right, if that's what you're looking for-”

“You're beating around the bush. What have I explained before about doing that? You can trust me, Oxye. You can trust this place, the Sanctum. If you couldn't, why would you be here?” she questioned him as she shifted her legs a bit, crossing them the other way. Those markings on her lower jaw and ribcage glowed ever so slightly and were almost a distraction.

“I don't understand why I'm apparently important enough to be getting this kind of treatment. You have The Network-”

“You're part of it. You can't see that, can you?” she questioned as she, once again, cut him off, “Unless you're looking to find yourself no longer welcome in this effort, I suggest you start taking what I'm asking for a bit more seriously. So, tell me, what have you learned about the new residents?”

Her words were cold, but that soft tone seemingly continued to reel him in to finally fess up, “...they're called Ngirrth'luin, or however you pronounce it. They're from...someplace else, similar to you, but also much different. From the sounds of it, they don't exactly have a leader, but one name seems to be standing out in a lot of their conversation logs: Vythica, the Vorpal. I'm not sure if that's some kind of title or a description.”

“And?” she questioned as she brought her arms and hands down to rest in her lap.

“And...things have been heated. With the advent of the Upper Levels portion of the city on the brink of completion, a lot of civil unrest has sparked up a sort of civil war, if you can even use that as a descriptor. Enforcement has been extremely active as of late, and not from everything that we monitor and mediate either. Seems like they're on witch hunts, chasing things that may or may not be down here.”

“And what of Enforcement's chatter?”

“Busy, extremely busy. They've been talking about the usual, yeah, but with the addition of the Ngirrth'luin to the formula, things are hectic on their end. They're constantly caught between dispersing riots, fights, detaining agitators, just about anything. They're spread thin, but...”

“But...?” she asked with an open end as she leaned forward, head now resting on her hands as she supported herself with her elbows.

“But...they're also scared. A lot of people are. I'm not exactly sure of what, but all I've heard mentioned are 'monsters'. What that's in reference to isn't mentioned, nor have I been able to piece together what it might be in reference to. A lot of the info pertaining to it is almost like static. I can access it, but it's not translatable, like a totally different language.” Oxye's tone had grown weary, even showing visibly in his expression as he continued to watch as she shifted around on her seat.

The woman eventually stood up, standing at about his own height, if not an inch or so taller from the boots she wore, of which a dark pair of harem-styled pants tucked into them quite neatly, “In short, we have the dawn of a new era forming,” she began to explain as she stepped around to stand in front of Oxye, her heavy booted steps echoing against the metallic flooring, “Isn't that exciting?”

Oxye froze up as she approached, immediately tucking his hands into his pockets and refusing to look up at her, and especially not that augmented forearm of hers. He took a couple steps back, as if intimidated, but eventually found himself backed up against the railing he'd been gripping not even a moment ago, “Whatever you or your kind find exciting obviously is about as crazy as this city's becoming. I can't tell whether or not you're enjoying the infighting, or loathing it. It's something that's out of The Network's control. These people are an outside influence, and something's stirring outside of your control.”

She continued to slowly approach him, stepping up until she was mere inches in front of him, even so much as smiling as he ended up backed into the railing. Without a moment of hesitation, she slammed her own hands onto the railing, and pressed herself just a bit onto him as she locked her gaze with his, “Whether or not it's in my control now isn't what's important. Everything eventually finds itself feeding from my hand, even you, my little Fen-Chi.” Her smile curled a bit more mischievously as she blew in his face, “I still remember that day. You say I saved you, and as a result you saved your little sister. How is she now? Still as much trouble as the day you finally restored her vision?”

Oxye huffed a bit as she pressed herself onto him, eventually sliding from under her as he quickly made way towards the steps down from the VIP lounge, “Harlotry won't work on me, EFI. I think it's best for you to let this boil for awhile until you find a better moment to make your move. The Network's only so large, and the Sanctum has a reputation to maintain. Don't be stupid, don't be rash, and especially don't try that again. Call me when you need me again...”

As Oxye made his way back down to collect his sister and make his leave, EFI turned around and leaned back against the railing she held him against, a smile still formed on her face as she let out a soft chuckle before mumbling to herself, “Trust me Oxye, I already have a plan.”


End file.
